“It wouldn’t do any good if you were to ask us,” she said, firmly. “We have debts enough in the house now to drive us to distraction.”
“Of course,” I said, “it will be some weeks, probably, before I can shape my plans. You will let me stay here?”
“There,” she sniffed, “he’s coming the soft soap act on, now! I thought you had something up your sleeve. So you want me to board you free of charge for some weeks, eh, while you lord it around without working?”
“I shall have to plan just what to do next!” I announced, feeling that this last touch to my already heavy load would break me. “That’s all. I shall be going off to some sort of a school if it’s possible.”
“Two days free: that’s as long as you can stop without board,” she announced. “I never was for this hair-brained business. It’s taken your earnings away. After two days you must pay board.”
I knew it was fruitless to argue with her any further and I longed for the noon to arrive when I could have Uncle Stanwood’s more comforting greetings.
My uncle came in and was extremely pleased to greet me, and my return so unexpectedly considerably upset him.
“Two years of learning, steady,” he commented. “That’s good. You are the first Priddy to get such a chance. Make the most of it. Two years is a good beginning. I can notice a difference in your speech and your manner already. Keep on, Al!”
“His learning hasn’t given him any silk shirts or gold-headed canes, has it?” scoffed my Aunt Millie.
“Don’t heap it on the lad,” chided my uncle, “it’s taken a lot of courage and perhaps suffering for him to get through as he has. We haven’t done anything towards it, Millie; so we shouldn’t have much to say!”